Mary Jane
by AssasinNinja
Summary: The story of Mary Jane Watson, Spider-man, and a boy named Peter Parker. An original take on the classic characters.
1. Chapter 1

Mary Jane Watson hated her job. As far as she was concerned, apart from teaching, it was the worst possible job in the world.

"I'll take the very-berry twist please."

"Small, medium or large, ma'am?"

"Large please."

_Surprise, surprise,_ Mary Jane thought cruelly. The rather large woman in front of her handed over a credit card decorated by a picture of a kitten playing with yarn.

"Your total is 4.97." She slid the card through the bulky, outdated card reader, and waited patiently as it verified the woman's order. MJ handed back the card, then a receipt for the woman to sign.

"Have a good day." She recited apathetically as the large lady took her ice-cream and waddled away. Imaginary tubas played in Mary Jane's mind as she left. She stared down at the woman's signed receipt, and started doodling away with the pen.

"Hey, MJ?" Liz Allan asked from the register next to Mary Jane's. Neither of them had customers at the moment, and the kiosk would close in a matter of minutes, just as long as no one showed up to make an order.

"Yeah?"

"Dinner tonight?" Liz asked, already taking off her apron. Mary Jane scowled at her, if any customers were to arrive, they would see that Liz was no longer working, and it would mean that MJ would have to take them.

"Sure." A dorky teenager in a fedora walked by, looking at them, and Mary Jane found herself praying that he was just gawking at Liz and her, but sadly, his pink bow tie made him look a tad homosexual. To her pleasant surprise, he kept walking, "Where?"

Mary Jane inspected her doodle, and found it up to par. She began to add the finishing details.

"I dunno, chinese food? Purple Panda Pan-fry?" Liz asked, over enunciating every p-word.

MJ looked down at her neon green wristwatch. The Sparkle-Berry Froyo Parlor, was now closed. She took one last look at her doodle, and affectionately dated it before adding it to the pile of other, similarly drawn upon receipts in the bottom drawer of the cash register.

Every time she drew Spider-man, she got better at it.

* * *

Mary Jane didn't like school all that much either, but she enjoyed her electives, and since the new term had just began it meant she would get a handful of new ones. Photography: 101 had sparked her interest, and she was one of the first to sign up.

At the time, the teacher had not yet been announced, so the class had the potential to be even more engaging than it's content suggested, if they got handed a hip new teacher, or depressingly less, if they got stuck with a boring old teacher.

And knowing Midtown High, MJ knew it was a fifty-fifty raffle.

However, it was about one minute before the final bell would ring, and a teacher had yet to make an appearance. Peter Parker was the last student to stumble in, and he was currently opening his messenger bag on the teachers desk. He pulled out a huge stack of papers just as the bell rang.

MJ looked around the class, and all of the other students seemed to be sharing her confusion.

Then, to everyone's surprise, Peter took up a piece of chalk, and started writing on the old chalkboard. In big yellow letters, he wrote his name, and the name of the class. He underlined it all, swiftly, and aggressively.

"Hey guys." He said nervously, "For those of you who don't know me, my name is Peter Parker, and I'll be your photography instructor for the next few months."

Almost in unison, the class made clear their still present confusion.

"We didn't have any real teachers that wanted to teach the course, so I agreed to do it in exchange for a few extra credits. Okay?"

The class assumed a relative hold on the reality of the situation, and Peter started handing out the course syllabus.

MJ stared hard at the syllabus, but couldn't focus long enough to read a single sentence. Peter Parker, her teacher? She'd never had a student as a teacher before, and even with the knowledge that Peter was undeniably smarter than every teacher at their school, she was still a bit unresolved over whether this made class more or less exciting.

"Now I know you might be a little unsure about having a fellow student as your teacher, but I can promise you this will be a fun class." Peter walked back to his desk, and rested an arm on it, "Photography, like all artforms, is personal. No one can tell you what is or isn't art. If you want to take real, practical photos or unique, abstract pictures, it makes no difference to me. Everything you create, as long as you continue to create, will get an A."

Peter smiled at the classes genuine excitement.

"There will be no written work in this class, no explaining yourself, and certainly no tests. Take a photograph a day, of anything, and give it to me the next morning, and you will be graded accordingly." He reached behind the desk and pulled out a box of school owned cameras, "You're welcome to use your own camera if you wish, or even your cell phone if you'd like, but the school has given us 20 or so DSLRs, or digital single-lens reflex cameras to use at our will. They are digital, for better incorporation with your computers at home or at school. So no excuse for sick days, if you aren't going to be in class, email me your photo."

Peter picked up the chalk again, and wrote his email address on the board.

"You can message me at 'parker at dbugle dot com'. That's where I work, the Daily Bugle."

An eager sophomore with her blond hair in a tight pony tail and wearing vintage horn-rimmed glasses raised her hand.

"Yes?" Peter said, lazily pointing at her.

"What do you do there?"

"I run their website, and I also do freelance work as a photographer. Whenever they need a picture of Spider-man, I get them one."

Whispers of amazement and disbelief roamed through the room, and MJ found herself particularly interested in Peter's line of work. Peter reached back into his messenger bag and pulled out a fresh, perfectly folded newspaper.

"Here, today's paper." He dropped the newspaper on Mary Jane's desk, and pointed at the caption on the front page, "Photograph by , I can assure you that they're talking about me."

MJ lifted the newspaper and stared hard at the photo of Spider-man sitting on a gargoyle. It was almost impossibly close, as if Peter was right next to the wall-crawler when he took it. She passed it to the student behind her, and turned her attention back to Peter.

"Now, before we begin, I want to tell you guys a little bit about the importance of depth of field."

* * *

MJ stood in an elevator, leading up to the top floor of the building that held the Daily Bugle. In her arms, she held a clipboard, and on her eyes she wore non-prescription eye glasses. She was trying her hardest to look official, but her heart raced with fear.

She had no clue what awaited her on the top floor. There could be armed security, surveillance cameras, a password locked door. Still, her mind and resolve were set, and as the elevator toned that she had reached her destination, she readied herself to set foot into the unfamiliar world of journalism.

She was greeted, not by security doors of armed men, but by the bustlings of a crowded office. Ducking her head low, she made her way between cubicles, scanning the room for what she had come for.

She turned a corner, and bumped into someone, their momentum sending them both to the ground.

"God, I'm so sorry- Mary Jane?"

MJ looked up into the hazel eyes of the reason she had come to the Daily Bugle.

"Peter, hey."

Peter picked himself up to his knees, and began picking up the photos he had dropped when MJ had bumped into him. He placed them into a manilla folder as he spoke,

"Wh-what are you doing here?"

Mary Jane started helping him with the photos, and quickly realized what they were of.

"I wanted to talk to you." She said, sneaking a photo of Spider-man under a piece of paper in her clipboard while Peter was distracted.

"Really?" He asked, flustered, "What about?"

He stood up, and politely helped her to her feet.

"Photography class."

"Oh." Peter said, his voice mixed with both disappointment and enthusiasm, "Well I have to get paid real quick, but I'd love to chat with you afterwards."

Peter walked thought the crowded office, waving and saying hi to people he knew as Mary Jane trailed him. He finally stopped at a table, where a pretty, 19 year old was filing paperwork.

"Hey, Betty." Peter waved the manila folder in front of his face before dropping it on the desk, "Photos for the next edition."

"Hey, Pete." She said smiling, taking the folder from him, "Who's your friend?"

"Oh!" Peter turned to face MJ, "MJ, this is Betty Brant, J.J's secretary and manager of all things monetary, for the Daily Bugle"

"Hi."

"And Betty, this is Mary Jane Watson, my neighbor and classmate."

"Love the name." Betty said, writing a check.

"Thank you." MJ replied, honestly, putting her clipboard into her bag.

"Here you go Pete." Betty said, ripping the check from a book and handing it over to Peter, "Cash it in before the eighth, okay?"

"Gotcha. Thanks Betty, have a nice day."

Peter gestured back towards the elevator, and Mary Jane nodded at him. Once they had made their way back down to the street, MJ grabbed the check from Peter.

"Hey!"

"Let's go cash it now," Mary Jane began, "It'll give us more time to talk."

Peter shrugged, and followed her to the bank.

* * *

"Name please."

"Uh, Peter Parker." Peter handed his check to the elderly, bespectacled woman behind the counter, and smiled at her charmingly. She didn't even look at him as she took the check.

"Just one moment please."

Peter nodded to the woman and turned to MJ. Smiling at her. Suddenly, his eyes squinted and his frown vanished.

"MJ." He said, grabbing her by the arm and leading her away from the counter quickly.

"Peter?"

He pulled her underneath a nearby table, and put his finger to his lips.

"Shhh..."

"What?" MJ was blushing, and she didn't quite know why. She jumped and screamed as a loud bang filled the bank. Only, no noise came from her mouth, because Peter's hand was pressed against it.

"Alright everyone! Get on the ground, now!"

MJ's eyes widened in surprise, Peter stared at her, and she found his gaze surprisingly calming. He squeezed her hand tight, and slowly took his other hand away from her mouth.

"Nobody moves, nobody gets hurt!"

MJ crawled closer to Peter, and he wrapped an arm around her. They sat in silence, listening to the bank robbers moving hurriedly around the bank. People were whispering, crying, swearing all around them, but they remained still.

Until Mary Jane saw feet in combat boots walk over to their table.

She sprinted out from under the table as fast as she could, and out of her peripheral vision she saw it fly up and hit the bankrobber, dazing him. Peter had thrown it, and was now sprinting after her.

She turned a corner, and almost collided with the back of another robber, who was pointing a gun at the woman who was cashing Peter's check, she was being forced to open a safe.

Mary Jane quickly clapped her hand to her mouth, and looked behind her. Peter was nowhere to be seen. She started backing up slowly, but she stepped on a squeaky floorboard, and the robber spun around.

"Hey! What are you doing! Get on the ground!"

"Why don't you get on the ground?" Spider-man asked from the ceiling. Before the robber could blink, he backflipped downward and landed square on the armed man's back, forcing him to the floor, and knocking him out. He turned to MJ, "Are you okay?"

She nodded in awe, and confusion.

"I have to stop these men, can you find your way out of here?"

She nodded again. He nodded back and patted her on the head, then sprinted toward the centre of the bank, his fists already clenched.

* * *

"Um, can I get one of everything?"

"One of everything?"

"Yes. One of everything."

"You're joking right?"

"No..."

"Liz, can you handle this? I'm taking a break." It was more of a statement than a question, so Liz Allan dropped the cups she was stacking, and took the rather large man's order. MJ walked slowly to the back of the Kiosk, where the majority of the frozen yogurt was kept in large, refrigerated buckets. Then, to her surprise, she saw Peter Parker walk toward the stand.

"MJ?" He asked, and she made her way to Liz's register.

"Hey, Peter."

"What happened to you yesterday? I couldn't find you after the robbery..."

MJ smiled at him.

"I was worried, I-"

"I'm fine, Peter."

"I was worried about you-"

"Peter, I'm okay." She added, eleated, "Do you want some yogurt?"

"No, no thanks, I don't have any-"

"On the house. Thanks for a fun time yesterday." She hands Peter blue, cotton candy flavored frozen yogurt, with red, black and white sprinkles. He stares at it, and his eyes shine slightly for a moment, before smiling up at her.

"I think I know what happened to you..." He pulled a spoon from the metal container on the counter and dug a dollop of blue, red, and black from the cup, "I think someone has a super hero stalker."

He walked away, waving as he went, but Mary Jane was barely paying attention. She looked down at a receipt she had been doodling on for some time, and was surprised to see the face of Peter Parker, not Spider-man, staring back at her.

She crumpled up the receipt to throw it away, but instead put the wad of paper into jeans' pocket. Looking up, she saw that Peter was gone.

* * *

MJ didn't enjoy English class. It wasn't that she hated English as a language, or the course as a whole, she just found the teacher, her fellow classmates, and the overall atmosphere of the class, very, very boring.

Now, her boredom didn't keep her from getting all As, but the teacher had on occasion reprimanded her for doodling or falling asleep.

She sighed, and stretched out into her chair, shoving both her hands into the pockets of her rather large pea coat. Her fingers brushed against a sharp angle, and she realized what was inside her pocket.

Looking around the room to be sure the coast was clear, she slowly pulled the Spider-man photograph from her jacket.

She stared at it for a few moments, until a new resolve settled with her. She carefully put it back in her pocket and scanned the room quickly until she spotted Harry Osborn.

"Harry." She whispered, "Psst! Harry!"

"What's up?" He asked, leaning over his desk.

"Do you have Peter's phone number?"

"Who, Parker?"

"Yeah."

"What on earth would you want his number for?"

"He's my photography teacher." She said, secretly dodging the question.

"What?"

"Just-the number, please!"

"Shhh!" The teacher, Mr. Simson shushed them from the front of the room, a piece of chalk held menacingly between the first two fingers of his right hand. Harry and Mary Jane shot their attention back to their work, but after a few moments MJ's eyes crept back off the paper, and over toward Harry.

The boy crumbled up and dropped a piece of paper he had scribbled on, and it tumbled to the ground near MJ's feet. She checked her surroundings, then picked it up, shoving it into her pocket with the photo of Spider-man.

* * *

Safely at home, MJ unraveled the scrap of paper and transferred Peter's phone number into her cell's contact list. She typed several alternative versions of hello, before resolving to send just a simple 'hi'.

He responded rather quickly, with a 'who is this?'. MJ typed her full name into the message box, then erased it and opened her phone's camera.

She held it a few feet away from her and threw the camera a peace sign. She sent the picture to Peter.

'Oh. Hey MJ. Where'd you get my number?' He replied.

'Harry gave it to me. So, what's the deal with you and Spidey?' She texted back, quickly.

'Wt do u mean' His text was devoid of proper spelling and punctuation.

'You take his picture right? :P'

'Oh, yes. I do.'

'Have you ever met him?'

'Why are you asking all these questions, MJ?'

'I'm... curious :P Don't you want to help me? ;)'

'How would I help you?'

'Arrange a meeting with him for me.'

Peter didn't reply for several minutes, and Mary Jane began to grow worried that she had upset him. Then, after about a half hour, she received a cell phone captured photograph of Spider-man in a jet black suit, with a white spider across the chest.

'I'll try to arrange a meeting. TTYL' She replied with more questions, but received no answers that night.


	2. Chapter 2

Peter Parker's photography class was currently occupied by every student. There was no one late, or absent, and everyone looked genuinely enthused to begin the day. Especially Debra Whitman, who looked a bit too enthused in Mary Jane Watson's opinion.

There was one person who wasn't in the room at the moment, and that was the teacher himself. The bell rang, and shortly after, a dwarfish black man waddled in, a cup of coffee in one hand, a bag of greasy food in the other. Tucked under his chin, were the folders that no doubt contained the instructions that Peter had left for the substitute.

"Hello." He said apathetically. He didn't bother to introduce himself, or write his name on the board. He pulled his laptop from his bag and logged on to the Daily Bugle's website, projecting it on the screen beside the chalkboard. "Mr. Parker left me explicit instructions for us to watch the live newsfeed on the Daily Bugle's website. He didn't tell me why, but I'm sure he told you."

The class all mumbled in vague agreement, even though they new of no such web feed, or that they were instructed to watch it.

"Now, let's see what's on the news." He clicked on the video thumbnail, and a live feed of some area of the city began. For a few moments the class watched on in apathetic silence, then a giant grey man with a horn jutting from his head rolled into frame. He landed hard on the road, cracking the pavement.

The majority of the class jumped in shock.

Then, a dark figure with a white spider on his chest and back leaped into frame, he landed on all fours. Mary Jane recognized him from the photo Peter had sent her. It was Spider-man.

"Bad Rhino! Bad!" Spider-man stood up, wagging a finger and laughing as the grey man pulled himself to his feet. He turned to the camera, and waved, as if he knew that someone was watching. His white eyes were smaller on this mask then they had been on his old costume, and he looked grimmer. More mysterious.

Sexier, MJ thought to herself.

"I'm.. I'm gonna kill you, Bug." The Rhino staggered slightly, then charged at Spider-man, lifting him up and pushing him past the camera.

Loud noises and general cacophony blared from the substitutes laptop for several minutes, but the feed remained an unbroken image of the city streets. Then, the pained scream of a young man made MJ's spine shiver.

"That hurt, you jerk!" Spider-man yelled sarcastically, though his voice actually held a large amount of pain. He grunted, and the Rhino yelled as he was thrown back into frame. He again landed hard, tearing a new crater into the ground.

Spider-man crept back into the camera's view, his suit torn almost to shreds, his body bloodied and bruised.

"Man, this is a new costume!" Spider-man's fist clenched as he stalked slowly toward the disoriented Rhino. He grabbed the massive grey man under the arms, and hoisted him high into the air, "Can you pay for this costume? I sure as hell can't."

With that, he thrust the Rhino downward, sending his huge legs straight into the asphalt of the road. The ground broke underneath him, and Spidey shoved him all the way down, until only his head stuck out from the hole.

"Have fun in prison." Spider-man shot a web line, and pulled himself up and out of frame. The feed faded away.

"Well that was interesting." The substitute said. Mary Jane asked to go to the bathroom, and left school.

* * *

Mary Jane Watson knocked politely on the door of May Parker's quaint house, and then she did it again but less politely.

"Hang on a second!" Peter's voice boomed from inside the house. MJ did as she was told. Exactly a second later, a soaking wet Peter Parker opened the door, a black bathrobe covered him, and he looked, frankly speaking, like hell.

"Hey, Peter..."

"Mary Jane..." Peter coughed once, then again, but the second one sounded fake, rehearsed almost. MJ noticed.

"Where were you today?"

"Sick." Peter said, bluntly, "You wanna come in?"

"Won't you get me sick?"

"I'm not contagious."

"How do you know?"

"I'm a scientist Mary Jane, I know these things." Peter said, smiling slightly. It took MJ a while to realize that he had been trying to be funny, she chuckled, "But please, come inside."

"I really shouldn't."

"I insist... wait a minute, what time is it?" Peter dug his cell out of his bathrobe pocket, and stared at the time, smiling, "Shouldn't you still be in school?"

"Frankly, Mr. Parker, I don't think that's any of your business."

"You should still be in my class right now, I think that makes it my business... come inside, please," There was something about his smile in that instant, that was irresistible to MJ, "I won't tell anyone you skipped."

They looked at each other for a moment, not a word exchanged between them. Peter opened the door even wider, and Mary Jane walked inside.

"Seriously though," Peter began as he led MJ to the living room, "You'd have to, like, uh, kiss me or something to catch my, uh, flu."

He _was_ flustered, but not from the flu.

"Really?" MJ asked, almost daring him with her tone.

Peter coughed again, "Well. Yeah. I guess."

"You know I could use a few days out of school-"

"Huh?"

"-And if you got me sick I'd have an excuse for being home from school today." She was inches from his face.

"Uh." Peter was blushing furiously.

"But... you aren't really sick, are you."

"I. Well, I. Know. I'm not." He admitted, dejectedly.

"So?"

"So what?" He asked, honestly confused.

"Show me the pictures!"

"They aren't uh...," he hesitated, "developed yet."

"You still shoot on film?"

Peter found himself delving deeper and deeper into photo-nerdom, "Less compression that way... and to be honest I love the developing prrocess."

MJ blinked at him, and Peter worried he went over her head.

"Yeah, me too." She finally said.

"What? Really?"

"My Uncle used to own a photography studio, I loved the dark room with the red lights and the water, it was like a whole other world."

"Mary Jane?"

"Yes?" She answered him.

"You are one special lady." Peter said un-shyly, taking MJ off guard.

"Thanks Peter." Mary Jane surprised herself as she felt heat rise to her cheeks.

"Mary Jane, if you really want, I can show you the photographs-"

"Yes please."

"-at dinner saturday night." Peter finished, no trace of nervousness in his voice.

For the first time in her life, Mary Jane Watson was flustered, "Why, Mr. Parker, what has gotten into you?"

"Well this is the first time I've had a beautiful woman in my house," MJ looked away shyly, "And I'm in a robe, we're practically married already."

* * *

'So, Y do u like Spidey so much?' MJ stared at Peter's perfectly punctuated and poorly spelled test. Despite the boy's attempt to be hip, his educational background still shone through in his typing.

She looked up from her phone to take a five dollars in ones from the sweaty man in front of her.

"Thank you," She said handing him back his change. She thought about saying 'come again', then thought better of it, "Have a nice day."

"You too." The sweaty guy replied in a gruff voice.

MJ mustered a smile as he walked away, then turned back to her phone.

"Who you texting, Janey?"

"Oh, just Professor Parker." MJ said, winking at her friend.

Liz smirked, "Ohhhh, hot for teacher are we?"

"Oh, oh, oh yes."

"What happened MJ, did his rugged Dr. Jones appeal get to you? Or was there a Police thing going on?" Liz said, surprising Mary Jane with her pop culture references.

"I didn't know you were so well educated Liz!"

Liz winked, "There are a lot of things you don't know about me!"

"Like?"

"Like that me and Mr. Parker are having our own secret affair." Liz said dramatically.

"The same Mr. Parker you helped Flash cover in pig's blood at homecoming?"

Liz faked a laugh, "Very funny, it was just glitter!"

"Yeah, knowing your luck, Peter would have been a mutant and burned the school down with us inside." Something she said made Mary Jane's heart jump a little, and she didn't know why.

Liz, "Pete is too nice of a guy for that."

"You're right." MJ agreed, shaking off her pesky thoughts and replying to Peter.

'We have a special connection. It's like I've known him forever. I think he feels the same.' She quickly pressed the send button, feeling embarrassed at the hidden feelings she had revealed in a text. She shoved her phone in the pocket of her apron, dreading his response.

_bzzzzzz_

She smiled wide at his reply, 'I know what you mean.'

* * *

MJ pulled her fuzzy sweater tight around her as the New York breeze blew past her. It was getting dark, and Aunt Anna would be peeved at her for walking home alone, but Mary Jane knew that Liz's mom would be more mad, so she had to escort her friend home, leaving MJ to walk the next few blocks by her lonesome.

"Hey." She heard from behind her, but when she turned around there was no one there.

"H-hello?" She asked warily.

"Up here." She looked at the building next to her, and spotted a dark figure perched below a window sill.

"Spider-man."

"Care for a lift?" He offered her an outstretched hand, and she took it.

And he took her up to the sky.

"Can I tell you something?" Mary Jane asked, lying down on a roof somewhere in New York.

"Shoot." Spider-man said, propping himself up on his elbow next to her. She turned to face him, her eyes wet with fear.

Never being one to skirt around the problem, she bluntly said, "I think... I'm in love with you."

"Mary Jane... Parker told me about you, but apart from that, I don't really know you. You know?"

"Yeah..." MJ said, almost relieved, "Let's get to know each other then, okay?"

"Listen, I don't want to build you up for disappointment." Spider-man sprung to his feet and offered MJ his hand once again, "It isn't really right for a super hero to have a girlfriend."

"Yeah... I kind of figured that." She wrapped her arms around him as he leapt off the building, landing carefully on a fire escape across the street, "Hey, this is my mom's place!"

"Is it?"

"Yeah, I spent many a night out here," Sadness filled her eyes," She... she doesn't really have custody of me anymore though."

"I... I uh, see." Spider-man cleared his throat, "You want to uh-"

"No, that's okay. She'll be happy to see me and take me home."

"Oh okay, I'll leave you here then." He propped himself up on the edge of the fire escape, "Mary Jane?"

"Yes?"

"If I could have a girlfriend... I'd definitely pick you."

"Thanks Tiger." Mary Jane said honestly, winking as Spider-man swung away, his black suit blending in with the dark sky, "Crap."

She realized she had forgotten to ask about the change in wardrobe.


End file.
